TANKS- Broken into three categories- If you look at any countriesí tanks the larger the tank the more armor and larger main gun. Main guns will be chronoed under 230 fps.
Main Battle tank (MBT) - Large tanks- Over x feet in width and length. (Iím not a tanker so wonít comment here). Will be designed by having a white diagonal stripe on the team color flag/ plates. This will allow players/ refs to id the type of tank.
Light tanks (LT) - smaller tanks i.e. golf cart size-
Single player walking tanks (WT)-
AT Weapons-
AT Guns (ATG) or recoilless rifles (RCL)- nerf launcher mounted on wheels (ATG) or tripod (RCL) with a gun shield. Now for realism RCLs normally do not have gun shields. But since they are normally dug into a prepared position and most fields donít allow this the gun shield gives protection. Also gives the tanker a target to hit. ATG/ RCls are normally eliminated by either destroying the gun (least common method) or eliminating the crew. The builder will decide on the size of the gun shield. Bigger means more protection from marker fire, but give a larger target for nerfs. Unless noted ATG will refer to both ATGs and RCLs. Chronoed like the tank main gun.
Nerf launchers (LAW)- Any man portable launcher that is a min of 36Ē long. Will be marked with a red band of tape on the muzzle. Can destroy tanks or bunkers. Limited to 150 fps. This will give a max range of 50-60 yds. And an effective range of 25-30 yds. Well within a tankís MGs. Since we limit the range of LAWs there is no need to limit the number of LAWs.
Grenade launcher (GL)- any man portable launcher that doesnít qualify as a LAW. Can only destroy bunkers.
Bunkers- Only designated bunkers (See Fulda Gap rules- Orange diamonds mark the designated bunkers) may be destroyed by nerf fire.
Elimination- For the purpose of these rules I am using the two nerf rule to destroy a tank. First hit disables it and second hit eliminates it. When referring to a tankís main gun it also includes ATGs.
MBT- LAWs may only eliminate from side or rear hits. Main guns may eliminate from any hit.
LT- Any hit from any AT weapon counts
WT- One hit from any AT weapon eliminates the tank.
Bunkers/ ATGs-One hit from any nerf eliminate it and all occupants/ crew.
Capture of ATG- If the crew is eliminated but the gun isnít destroyed the gun may be remanned or captured. One member of the gun crew will use a white towel to show they are out of play and is allowed to stay near the gun to maintain control of the gun from loss/ damage. If captured the gun is in play until it is eliminated, re-captured or x minutes. If eliminated or time elapses the capturing unit will assist in moving the gun off the field of play.

Fun rules- Just ideas that could add fun.
88mm Flak AT gun- A large AT Gun placed on the field that can be captured by either side. The gun cannot be moved. Whoever captures it will need to bring an air source and nerfs. One hit from this gun eliminates ANY tank. The gun is captured as above with the exception of a crew member needing to stay with the gun. The nerfs and air source goes with the team.
Heavy Machineguns (HMG)- A marker on a tripod or co-ax gun on a tank. Fires different color paint. Three hits on a bunker/ ATG will eliminate it. A gun shield is optional. The effect only works if the marker is mounted on the tripod. Can eliminate players same as field paint.

Now I didn't go into detail on each rule. Just a general idea. Remember that most fields will discuss rule changes in Dec/ Jan. This gives them time to inform refs etc. So make it known to your fields soon.
Let the flaming start.

Nerf launchers (LAW)- Any man portable launcher that is a min of 36Ē long. Will be marked with a red band of tape on the muzzle. Can destroy tanks or bunkers. Limited to 150 fps. This will give a max range of 50-60 yds. And an effective range of 25-30 yds. Well within a tankís MGs. Since we limit the range of LAWs there is no need to limit the number of LAWs.

even with this limit, the number should be limited. tank battles often become up close and personal with infantry. but i really like your ideas

Most of the stories shown in this thread involved the tanks being either insertion trapped or out-gunned by overwhelming a/t gunners. I agree that there should be some balance if the teams are really lop-sided regarding tanks and A/T. But to limit those because your chosen team isn't doing very well is taking a simple problem and complicating it.
If your insertion point was being camped by enemy A/T, thats the fault of your team's command. PERIOD. There is no excuse. Combined arms is required for tanks to survive on battlefeilds where infantry is present. If your command was either unaware of the situation or incapable of dealing with it, it's not the enemy A/T gunner's fault. Thats the cost of having poor performing team. Such is life.
At ION '12, Friday night castle game i ran right into the exact situation, from an infantry standpoint. The Germans outflanked us and managed to move right up within 20ft of our insertion point. So as soon as you came thru the net, you where getting shot. As frustrating as that was, it was my own teams fault and we deserved it for getting out-flanked. So we had to push them back with heavy casualties and lots of cursing. Such is life. I never thought for one second that perhaps the ref should redeploy the German's right flank because us allies couldn't hold it, because i only got to use my new marker for 15 seconds before getting shot out...30 times in a row.
Now i know you folks spend big bucks and lots of time building those lovely machines, and i do enjoy seeing tanks at games, lets not create more problems by creating a problem that doesn't really exist. I think we'll find a way somehow thats keeps everyone happy and involved in these great games at the larger events.

On another note...I think the new m-79 and m-203 type launchers shouldnt do anything to armor. Bunkers and pillboxes yes, tanks no. Should be a full-size shoulder fired launcher to defeat armored vehicles.

If any of you tankers going to BFB at skirmish and have loudspeakers......I'd love to hear "The ride of the valkryie" while the battle is raging! lol. Anyone taking requests??? lol.

Couldn't agree with your comments and assesment.
Trouble is, most paintball players/teams tend to think
they don't need to practice working as a team with
their tanks and most tankers tend to see themselves
as free agents.

Even with the advantage of a year to prepare for D-Day
we've had plenty of the same problems in the past. That
all changed now that we began insisting that the tankers
carried radios which let them communicate with us back
in the TOC, as well as with our ground elements. We've
also begun training sub-units within each large ground
unit, to serve as Mech Infanty. That way those units are
prepared to stall the enemy when the Germans try to
overrun our troops, these units stall them long enough
for our armor to arrive on the scene to finish things up.

On another note...I think the new m-79 and m-203 type launchers shouldnt do anything to armor. Bunkers and pillboxes yes, tanks no. Should be a full-size shoulder fired launcher to defeat armored vehicles.

If any of you tankers going to BFB at skirmish and have loudspeakers......I'd love to hear "The ride of the valkryie" while the battle is raging! lol. Anyone taking requests??? lol.

My friend George typically runs an 800 to 1200 watt sound system out of his Tiger, wattage depending on whether or not they had to replace the previous years amp. 'Ride of the Valkyries' has been a favorite at the L.I. Big Game for over a decade now coming from his Tiger. He and his crew don't typically leave L.I. anymore but this year is an exception as they're heading up to the Cousins New Windsor field for the Zombie game in a couple of weeks. I've gotten just about everything I need to push out a decent level of music out of my wife's tank and although 'stuff' keeps coming up that prevents me from setting it all up in the tank, the next time I bring her tank to I.O.N. it will be cranking out some tunes.

Well guys and gals our tank is planning to have our sound system running at BFB and we have all kinds of music to play on the battlefield. But I must say I dont like playing it all the time because there's a point when your moving and you dont want the other side to hear you coming. I think we have the Valkryie song on our MP3. I still believe in a surprise factor. On the point made about insertion point ambushes. I would agree with the one poster that indicated thats the Command staffs problem to send in players to clear that out. That happens alot and I went to the General or such and complained so. So when you get pinned down sometimes you have to wait to break through.

I enjoyed BFB very much!!!! I had a blast to say the least. If your tank was knocked out at Tippmann city.....It was my rocket lol. I think only one other player got a tank kill in the vicinity of Tippman city and he did it with a hand grenade. I am team Alpha-Omega's A/T gunner, Roach. We where Russian. I was guarding tippmann city most of the day. I got 9 tank kills near Tipmann city, and the 10th was the tank that made it to our CP. My Launcher is a RAP4 RPG-7. I got Allied Zombie MVP that game. That was by-far the best game of the year for Alpha-Omega. It was an even fight for both sides all day long. Good players, good walk-ons, good ref's, and good medics. My hats of to Skirmish and the german teams for a OUTSTANDING day of paintball.

Where would an aspiring tank builder look for design and main weapon design idea's ? No use trying to reinvent the wheel and I really liked the look of those amphibious Sherman tanks at DDay!
We are planning on building a paintball tank or armoured vehicle type thing and there don't seem to be that many up here in Canada...
Any help is appreciated,
Slider - BACARA PB

One of its best features is a 6 shot autoloading cannon that does 1 RPS. Small size + can go off road + can jump sideways in and out of cover while engaging tanks sitting on the middle of a road (aka speedball with a cannon) + an autoloading cannon gives me one HUGE advantage, tank on tank. It has never been defeated by opposing armor defined as, I got more kills on their tank than they did on mine during a game.

Finishing up my first motorized tank. In process of building an autoloading belt fed cannon. The BEST feature about an autoloading cannon is NOT the rate of fire but the simple fact is you don't have to RE-AIM after each shot. Too high? just lower it a bit and push the button again. Walk it right onto them at farther ranges than tanks generally engage at. At 1 RPS, I have to WAIT until my shot misses at 35 yards before I correct my point of aim and fire again. Only at very close range, on multiple targets would a higher rate of fire in a cannon be useful. Like clearing 6 bunkers hoping you get lucky and kill the RPG guy lying in wait.

All your design decisions will revolve around your base vehicle and its capabilities and limitations. Mine is on a 52" ZTR. SPACE seems to be a limiting factor along with the capabilities of the crew. I am the gunner, driver, commander. Busy little beaver in a firefight.

If you opt for a PUG, weight will be the driving factor in the design. The shell of mine is about 20 pounds until I added 45 pounds of armorment, air, and ammo. 65 pounds on a backpack frame.

Prior to all those decisions, EVERYTHING will be driven by what you are willing to spend.

__________________
Carefully planned irresponsibility is the KEY to mental health.

What are the chances of a field allowing a tank to incorporate an actual paint grenade cannon? Like with the nerf rockets, aiming the cannon at trees or buildings so the paint grenade actually explodes, spewing paint in all different directions. I'm sure this would be an iffy subject, but I've seen water balloon air cannons out there so theoretically this could be done. I'm sure the cannon would have to be chrono-ed below 100 psi (just a guess) so it couldn't hurt anyone. I think if this could be accomplished (if it hasn't been tried out already), it could be a game changer for tanks. Plus, I've seen these air cannons made with PVC pipe, so it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

A decade or so ago, someone launched a Tippman Grenade out of a RPG into a base. Took off a guys mask. No injury but concern regarding a potential secondary eye injury from a paintball made field owners real strict about using only Nerfs after that close call. Haven't heard of any incidents since. And a good arm throwing a grenade into a base could easily have the same effect and those are allowed routinely.

So it is the fields call. Ask them....

A point blank grenade impacting a player is also a concern. Too much mass moving 230 fps could put a player on the ground where he might require a stretcher.

Should you be allowed to proceed, I would design and install the launcher so that it could not physically be lowered to strike a player at close range. Force it to be a mortar like launcher which is probably what you had in mind.

Think safety first and make it idiot proof in anyone other than you will be operating it.

__________________
Carefully planned irresponsibility is the KEY to mental health.